May 23
There are many things in life that have an appearance of godliness, of wisdom, and of perfection in God. Many of these elements are things that the world has set standards for and things that the world has put in place. When we come to Christ we become a completely new person. We start afresh. When we become a completely new person we do away with the old self. This means we throw away all the negative and the sin that encompassed our old self. As we have come to Christ we ought to subject ourselves to the commands and doctrines of God. Our concern is not with what the world wants. We are not to worry about what the world says concerning what we should eat, drink, etc., but rather on what God says in His word concerning these things. As it stands the world will always have its beliefs and appearance of what is right but all those things are irrelevant when it comes to God. His word and His commands are ye and Amen.
Do not be concerned with the things of this world. Do not be burned with falsehood and the flesh. Do not indulge in self-imposed religion or false humility. The world and the flesh will always have their own rules and cravings. But the command of God remains firm and valid. Traditions have absolutely nothing on God and His rule, so do not give more credit and respect to that more than you do to God.
Colossians 2:20-23
“Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using— according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
